IOS, Front End Web developers as well as Full stack Developers are the most in demand tech jobs this week. Here’s what you need to know about each: Early Engineer In An Ai Startup In London at Aiden Dashbot Limited About the company: At Aiden we use artificial intelligence to build the knowledge worker […]

At Aiden we use artificial intelligence to build the knowledge worker of the future. We come from amazing companies like Apple or Dyson robotics and our academic advisors have published hundreds of papers.

Job requirements:

MS or Ph.D in Computer Science, Math or other closely related degree
2+ years of experience building scalable software
Strong engineering culture and passion for engineering best practices
Familiarity with Node.js, Java/C++ or equivalent and Python/Ruby

Studio Graphene is a young and ambitious digital delivery partner with a mission: to turn ideas into reality. They deliver services ranging from digital strategy and planning, UX/UI design all the way to product design to support and maintenance.

The forthcoming work is helping design and implement the build-measure-learn cycle of the platforms next stage of development. You will love this role if you’re not only very comfortable at writing code, but also happy assisting the CEO map user experiences and design / implement new pages / flows throughout the platform and viral loop.

Our mission is to help our partners and their clients to collect, curate and visualize the very best content from around the web. Since 2012 we have been helping our customers identify their most valuable content for display wherever it has maximum impact on the audience.

Job requirements:

You will work on a number of projects which include: improving the integration with third party APIs and continued development of the back-end architecture, linking to the dashboard which enables clients to manage and analyse social media feeds.

Raremark, a well-funded and fast growing health-tech start-up in rare disease is looking for a junior to mid-level UI Developer to join an experienced multi-disciplinary team to support their rapid growth plans.

Job requirements:

You will work closely with Founders, Product Managers, Developers and creatives in order to deliver software solutions that make a real difference to people affected by rare disease. This project is challenging but highly rewarding and sits within one of the most exciting areas of digitization: health.

Transitioning from one job to another is never easy, regardless of the reasons. Moreover, going from a corporate job to working in a startup is a challenge not to be taken lightly. Despite this, more and more people are making the switch from corporate to startup looking for autonomy, flexibility and a better company culture […]

From corporate to startup – what does it take to make the switch?

Transitioning from one job to another is never easy, regardless of the reasons. Moreover, going from a corporate job to working in a startup is a challenge not to be taken lightly. Despite this, more and more people are making the switch from corporate to startup looking for autonomy, flexibility and a better company culture as well as the chance to learn and grow at an accelerated pace.

So what can you expect when making such a change and what are the challenges?

Jack of all trades, is that you?

Prepare to roll up your sleeves and do very diverse work. While in a corporation everybody has a very specific role and job description, in a startup you will have to wear many hats and most importantly get things done. You need to make sure you will not back down when you are required to do things that you are overqualified for or not qualified enough. You will have to assume responsibility for your outcomes and for every role you are required to fill in.

Making a difference with every step

It can be hard to assess the real impact your work has in a large company where there are layers and layers of approvals and bureaucracy or where you have no control over what happens with your projects and initiatives. In a startup you will not only be involved in the decision process but also have a green light for your ideas – some of which can even change the course of a business and put it on the path of success.

Can you keep up?

Working in a startup will definitely be a change of pace from a corporate job – everything happens right now, all the deadlines are today and hectic is your new normal. Don’t be scared though, working in such a dynamic environment will challenge you like never before and shorten that learning curve like working in a corporation could never do. As a new employee to in the startup scene you will have to learn how to constantly juggle tasks, make quick decisions as well as be self-reliant in everything you do.

Less is more

Say goodbye to huge budgets, armies of consultants, expensive design agencies and countless calibration meetings. In a startup you have to make it work with a small budget or sometimes with no budget at all. This is where you can unleash your creativity, finding ways to be equally efficient with less resources and also push yourself to learn new skills in order to fill in that budget gap.

Whether you have made up your mind or not about making the switch to a startup, you have to be aware that working in a startup is not for everyone. You have to consider your goals, your work style and your personality and what ultimately makes you happy in a work place: do you like a fast, think outside the box environment or a more structured approach which will allow you to achieve your goals at an even pace? In the end neither one is bad, they are just different.

Procrastination gets the best of us. Perfectionism is not too far either. The two apparent opposite concept go hand in hand: not being able to do certain things perfectly (and you know you can’t) makes you not do them and in the worst cases not even start them, a perfect excuse to procrastinate: “I won’t […]

5 Ways to Get Over Your Perfectionism

Procrastination gets the best of us. Perfectionism is not too far either. The two apparent opposite concept go hand in hand: not being able to do certain things perfectly (and you know you can’t) makes you not do them and in the worst cases not even start them, a perfect excuse to procrastinate: “I won’t be able to make a site the way I want to anyway”; “It’s not that I’d become a programmer with 8h of programming per week anyway”; “it’s not like I could really paint after a few lessons”; “I can’t do pull-ups anyway so let’s just forget about it”. Easy, isn’t it?

I worked on these two friendly foes the entire 2013 and found my own ways to actually defeat them to annihilation. Almost, one can never win with fighting oneself but you can have quick victories that push you a bit forward and make you a little better. The process is exponential in my mind so every time I have a little success I consider the next one will be twice as good. And people call me pessimistic!

I have described my technique to fight procrastination in a previous post, so let’s focus on the other troublemaker: perfectionism.

My approach: forget it! I’ll do everything to the best of my current abilities. How does that translate into practice?

Don’t fall into infinite research danger. You know that one: “I’ll just read this one book about it and then get to doing”. Do whatever you plan to do with the current skills and then improve. No first draft was ever perfect. Look at the computer, what a beauty became from the monster in the 70’s.

Set little objectives. Don’t set as objective to re-create Google if you want to learn Python. Think about making a little program to organize your 2.000 PDFs folder (you know the folder where you spend 15min to 1h to find something every single time). Don’t plan to do a website with the quality of WordPress (wouldn’t that be lovely?), just code a simple About me page. Or a CV page, or a blog page (by the way, Dash is really awesome to use but Codecademy brings more learning).

Act. Write, make a presentation, make the site, do the program. Whatever it is, just do it. Stop thinking and just do. When you actually do, you learn more than when you think about it, plan it on paper or whatever you’re wasting your time with but actually doing.

You know more than you think. That’s right, I said it. I experienced this ever since university, when I was studying for a week and the night before the exams I had the impression I knew nothing. When I did focus, at the exam, everything came to me naturally. It’s different when you focus on 100 possible topics versus on 1 topic. Your mind will do the work, just set it free.

Have faith. This sounds unlike me and I don’t talk about faith in the religious meaning (you thought you got me there, didn’t you?). I mean rational faith that whatever you are doing; it will work out if you actually start. Starting is difficult and persevering is just as hard to keep up.

Perfectionism takes us forward so it’s not something entirely negative. In some cases though, and I found myself there, it’s a time blocker. Developing confidence and skills comes from constantly improving and constantly doing, so this is where your head should be. Persevere towards your goal, forget about making every single draft or phase perfect. The end result is that matters: to get the skill, to get the job, to be better, to grow, whatever you plan to do, just do it.

After years of hearing so many business gurus advising you to find your passion, never stop searching for work you love, always rediscover yourself, a wave of skepticism hit the business world lately. The economic decline has put its mark on idealistic research of happiness through work or maybe you just discovered you cannot love […]

Love What You Do Or Do What You Love? (Pt. 2 of 2)

After years of hearing so many business gurus advising you to find your passion, never stop searching for work you love, always rediscover yourself, a wave of skepticism hit the business world lately. The economic decline has put its mark on idealistic research of happiness through work or maybe you just discovered you cannot love what you do entirely. (Part I here)

Do what you love?

…fortune will follow.

Huge personalities like Steve Jobs, Andrew Carnegie, Richard Branson, Paul Graham Alan Watts, Daniel Dennett and many others are promoters of the concept that you have to find what you love, what makes you happy and dedicate your life to it. This translates into finding meaningful work that is related one way or the other to the things you are passionate about, which would ease your path towards success. Or to put it differently, do what you love and money will follow. This became the mantra of all career counselors, who are now focusing on helping people discover their passion.

Why it should work?

Doing what you love and getting paid for it … basically doing things you would do anyhow, even if you weren’t paid for, while ensuring yourself an income out of it is truly the best situation you can be in, to have a fulfilled and complete life and maintain a lifestyle that best suits your needs and desires

Passion brings drive, drive brings perseverance. Being in love with what you do will focus your entire efforts in one direction and will make it easier for you to actually become better and better at the topic

According to Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers), working 10.000 hours at something would definitely make you an expert in the area. It is rather difficult to put so much effort into something that you’re not passionate about without having that deep feeling inside yourself that you are wasting your life away

Even if you don’t become an expert in doing the thing you love, even if you’re not successful, you will still feel fulfillment as you are doing something that has meaning to you.

Why wouldn’t it work?

Most people don’t really know what they’re passionate about and they might confound hobbies with passion, thus creating some confusion when it comes to choosing a future career. You shouldn’t develop a future on an unstable base, or you might have much more to lose than you think

Being passionate about one topic doesn’t necessarily make you an expert in it. There are more chances for you to become one, as you are definitely willing to put effort and build and expand your passion but still, you might be passionate about something you have no real affinity with

“Passionate people are more likely to take big risks in the pursuit of unlikely goals” (according to Scott Adams; see full article here)

Passion doesn’t equal success: “Be in love with what you do but don’t be blind”, says Berlin Startup Academy founder Christoph Raethke, going on to detail his point (full article here): music industry is incredibly hard to get into with a successful business; sports is a domain that is overcrowded by apps and businesses that don’t work; other areas like arts, literature, movies, creativity and languages, are “bound to make a founder fail not quickly and cheaply, but slowly and painfully”. Basically “encouraging someone for pulling through with an idea he’s passionate about but that is just not going to work commercially (or is way too hard to execute) is the worst service that can be done to him.”

Any work, no matter how interesting and beautiful it is, requires some administrative parts, some other type of work that has nothing to do with the core activity (if you’re passionate about music and you become a musician, you still need to have an accountant, network and sell your music, build an image for yourself, make sure you deal with the marketing and PR and so on) so even following a career in a field you’re passionate about would not guarantee full-time work fulfillment.

How to do it?

– If you already know what you’re passionate about, if there is one clear thing that keeps you up all night and takes up all your free time, then you made your decision and you are one of the lucky ones! The next step to do is build a product out of your passion, decide what you can sell and who your customers could be, build a concept, read, learn about the industry and make your “escape” plan. It’s a long and bumpy road, so make sure you start while you still have a job or you have a stable income from another source before you jump on it. Doing something new sometimes means failing and starting over and over again, so you always need a plan B to fall back on in case things don’t work out

– If you didn’t find the subject you’re passionate about and you’re unhappy in your current position, that’s a first step to make a decision: do you want to change something or you want to keep the status quo?

– If you decided you want to change something start investigating: look inside you, analyze yourself, find out when you are happy while you do your daily chores and try to build on the happy moments

– Look around you, find people you admire and look up to, usually there’s your answer about what you should do; great examples can give great advice

– Test more hypotheses, some might not stick, some you might get bored and tired of after a while, but there will be others that will keep you active and interested. And those are the ones you should take into consideration when you decide your future.

In the end, it’s a personal choice of the situation that works best for you.

Andreea has 6+ years experience as a consultant and project manager, for shared-services organizations, with expertise in operations and performance management. Being passionate about entrepreneurship, in the past years she took over roles of strategy and business development for startups and recently launched Firsty, the first online community solely for extreme sports. 2013 was […]

7 Steps I Took to Beat Procrastination

Andreea has 6+ years experience as a consultant and project manager, for shared-services organizations, with expertise in operations and performance management. Being passionate about entrepreneurship, in the past years she took over roles of strategy and business development for startups and recently launched Firsty, the first online community solely for extreme sports.

2013 was a good year. Good for work, learning and growing. At the beginning of the year, I decided that, considering the volatility of the economy and labor market, I have to develop skills entirely opposite to the ones I had. It always helps to know more, but usually, developing unrelated topics to the task at hand in a corporation is not the ticket to growth in your job. So 2013 was not the year when I grew in a corporation but on a personal level, I feel like I had the highest skills development in the last four years.

What did I manage to achieve in 2013?

I become a certified fitness instructor. I took a certification course, I learned anatomy and biomechanics, increased my gym presence and I made it. I have been doing fitness for over three years now so it wasn’t entirely new, but learning the biomechanics of the human body, the logic behind exercises and training theory was completely new and challenging.

I learned HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Python basics. I realized that programming makes my brain function differently; I structure problems after an order not known to me before and find solutions easier. It improved my overall approach to problem-solving, work structure and even life. This is something that I will continue in 2014.

I started Firstyin my spare time, after playing with the idea for almost half a year. It’s now happening and a lot of things need to be done but the whole process is really great. It’s just a unique feeling to build something that comes from your passion and can be called your own.

I got my first PRINCE2 certification and on my way to the next level. This one task has direct application to work.

I completed quite a few useful courses on Coursera, Novoed and edX. One of the universities I followed was Wharton University of Pennsylvania, which is very good – not only in terms of content – but in terms of volume of courses and teaching methods. I highly recommend their courses.

Procrastination was my biggest enemy. You can’t ignore it and move on, it requires will, passion, and energy to get out of it. Sometimes procrastination is a clear indication that whatever you are doing is not something you are interested in but if you prefer to watch Breaking Bad instead of working, it might just mean that you’re lazy.

My strategy to fight the foe was to make a list of objectives to achieve on a certain period of time (mine was an excel sheet). There are plenty of productivity tools out there (todoist is one that I sometimes use) so if that works for you, go out there and find one that has your name on it:

1) Main objective split in weekly little wins. Making that week green was my weekly little pleasure. After a while I think I was pushing forward especially to green my excel sheet (green being the code for “done”).

2) Prioritize. Which tasks are a “must” for this week and which are a “should”? It will help you focus on the important things when you run out of time.

3) Re-plan. If you don’t accomplish your weekly tasks, it’s very easy to become disappointed. Every Monday morning I’d re-plan everything and make sure I also record some wins, otherwise I’d get discouraged and get to the “There is not enough time in a day for me to check all these points so … Breaking Bad maybe?”.

4) Make sure you under-plan. There are always things that come up: friends’ anniversaries, something that you need to finish at work, social obligations. So let yourself room to feel a little bit free.

5) Plan your weekends carefully. It’s so easy to get carried away but the huge amount of free time that the weekend promises. So much time to Facebook, watch TV, lunch with friends, sports, coffee, and so on … working can come later. Whoa, when did Sunday evening happen?

6) Never lose sight of your goal. Easy to forget why you’re doing all that instead of just enjoying free time like normal people (who are these “normal people” everyone talks about, as I only see people that constantly want to do more?).

7) Enjoy every little victory. This is the key. Make little celebrations, take breaks for the mind to rest, sleep, eat properly and healthy and exercise. The mind is the happiest when the body is healthy.

In the end, don’t forget to plan things that you also enjoy. You’ll find yourself excited to complete a task just to jump to another that really is something you are looking forward to do. Don’t let procrastination get the best of you in 2014!

Oliver Ewbank is a Digital Marketing Manager at Koozai , a UK Digital Marketing Agency with offices in London and Southampton. Anyone who works for a StartUp knows that recruiting a top candidate is no easy task. For a company to succeed you need to employ the best digital minds in the business. They need to fit […]

Writing a Good Job Description – StartUp Style

Oliver Ewbank is a Digital Marketing Manager at Koozai , a UK Digital Marketing Agency with offices in London and Southampton.

Anyone who works for a StartUp knows that recruiting a top candidate is no easy task. For a company to succeed you need to employ the best digital minds in the business. They need to fit in well, be adaptable, and have the right skills too. So where do you start? It all begins with the job description.

The job description is without doubt the most important part of the recruitment process. It puts you on the road to finding the right prospect and is your first chance to filter out any time wasters or poor quality applicants. More importantly, you can set the requirements for your role and sell the benefits of working for your company.

Typically job descriptions tend to be more quirky for a StartUp, although there are still several rules to help you find the next bright prospect for your business.

So let’s get started:

Job Title

It’s amazing how a slight change to a job title can attract a completely different calibre of applicant. The more specific you can be, the better your chances of getting a top notch employee. Do you want the jack of all trades and master of none? Or do you want someone with a dedicated role? If you’re a new StartUp you may want a ‘jack of all trades’ so you can provide that person with a range of varying tasks.

For example, the title ‘Marketing Executive’ is quite broad and could attract someone with online and offline experience. On the other hand, ‘Inbound SEO Executive’ is a lot more refined and will attract a prospect with this specific skillset.

One thing to remember is that vague job titles can make it hard for the candidate to imagine themselves in the role.

Mission Statement

A good job description should encapsulate the company’s mission. The role may be a perfect fit for the applicant, but you need to entice candidates with a strong mission statement. The more interesting and exciting this can be the better. What makes your company special? What sets you apart from your competitors? What are the goals of your company? What do you offer as a product or service?

Working for a StartUp can sometimes be a gamble in comparison to a stable sector, so it’s important that your mission statement inspires confidence in the role.

If you are a quirky modern company, use quirky modern language. Show that your business has a fun culture and personality and talk with the same tone you use in your work.

If you are a company with traditional values, take a more traditional approach. Convey serious and prestigious values by using well-structured sentences and formal language.

Define the Role

Make sure you define the role early on. List between five and ten key responsibilities. They should be clear and have an obvious objective. For example, write “Press release writing and selling-in stories to the national press” rather than “gain press coverage”.

If you can include information on how often certain responsibilities will be carried out this will give candidates more information on their day-to-day duties. For example, “Perform and report on weekly E-Marketing Campaigns”.

Required Skills

In the required skills section of the description you have the opportunity to define the role and its responsibilities. List the required skills separately as ‘skills and competencies’. The required skills will be what candidates have learnt in the past or relevant qualifications i.e. presentation skills or a Google AdWords qualification.

Competencies are the traits or attributes you would expect a prospect to display in the day-to-day role i.e. being a team player who is self-motivated.

Desired Skills

The desired skills section is your chance to filter outstanding applicants. The desired skills are not essential to carry out the role but typically it would mean providing less training. Everyone wants a candidate who can hit the ground running, so don’t be afraid to list a range of desired skills.

In this day and age the job market is full of intelligent graduates and self-taught internet guru’s. If you are running a StartUp the desired skills section should be as big as the required skills section.

For example, you may be recruiting for a ‘Marketing Executive’ but if the candidate is familiar with Dreamweaver and Photoshop they can help out in the art and web development departments.

Job Perks

Never forget to mention the perks of a job. Particularly in the StartUp world most candidates understand their worth and will know if they are hot property. So how do you attract the best? If you want to attract the cream of the crop you need to list the benefits of working for your company.

You may not have Google’s giant slides or Facebook’s nap pods but there are always perks to any job. In an office environment small things can go a long way, so don’t be afraid to list small benefits too.

Most candidates will want career progression, so list the opportunities for personal development. Will the successful candidate attend conferences or workshops? Will they benefit from talented individuals in a fun StartUp environment? Do you offer healthcare or pension schemes? Do you have free fruit? Does the company run social events?

Think about what you can offer. Detailing the perks of the role could be the difference between recruiting a newbie and poaching a rock star that is top of their game.

Pictures

Everybody loves pictures. Pimp out your job description with an array of pictures and it will stand out from the crowd. Most job boards allow you to use a logo so do this to showcase your brand. If the description is located on your own site try and post pictures that show the working environment.

If you have shiny new Mac’s, show off your office environment. If you have a funky canteen, show off your food area. If you hold great social events, display a picture of your team nights out. A picture speaks a thousand words and this is an opportunity not to be missed.

Salary

If you have a specific salary advertised you will attract a particular calibre of applicant. Most StartUps tend to work out a broad salary bracket to attract a variety of applicants. Research competitors with similar positions available. This will give you a better idea of what you should offer in your market.

Many StartUps recruit interns, so have a think about what else you can offer as monetary value. Can you pay their travel and expenses? If you have a more concrete position can you offer a performance based bonus scheme?

Another option is to offer shares in the company. If your company is brand new this can be a great way to motivate your employees in order to make the organisation succeed.

Contact Information

If possible provide a phone number as well as an email address for people to apply. If you are a StartUp you may not have a dedicated recruitment or HR team so it’s best to use the details of the potential new employee’s supervisor.

Deadline

StartUps tend to leave vacancies open to keep a regular stream of CV’s coming through the door. If you want to find candidates quickly, put a deadline on the description to encourage a high turnaround of applications. This will increase the urgency and filter out half-hearted candidates.

Tasks

It’s quite common for StartUps to set simple tasks for applicants to complete. This is a great way to filter out time wasters who are not passionate about the role. StartUp companies in early development are constantly looking for new ideas, so this is a good opportunity to get free feedback and analysis on your product or service.

For example, you may simply say “List 5 ways you would promote our product internationally?” If you are looking for someone with creative writing skills you could ask them to re-write your About Us page.

Many companies save applicant tasks until after a face-to-face interview, so this will depend on your recruitment objectives.

Conclusion

A good job description can set you on your way to recruiting the next internet tycoon. If it’s well written, you can filter out irrelevant applicants and entice a high calibre of potential candidates.

Not only does the description give prospects a clear indication of the responsibilities involved, it can also act as a tool for measuring performance in appraisals. The skills and responsibilities listed can be used as a benchmark for personal development within the role.

So there you have it. Writing a job description should be a fun exercise to showcase your company. Superior job descriptions attract superior candidates. The more effort you put into a job description, the more useful it will become in the future. Happy hunting!

Oliver Ewbank is a Digital Marketing Manager at Koozai , a UK Digital Marketing Agency with offices in London and Southampton.

Steve Jobs: the totalitarian leader, managing the company in a dictatorial way, treating employees like dirt, always knowing better and being the only person that makes decisions in the company, at the same time a technology genius who nevertheless is one of the most appreciated and looked up to leaders in the technology industry and […]

Steve Jobs or Richard Branson? What Makes A Great Manager?

Steve Jobs: the totalitarian leader, managing the company in a dictatorial way, treating employees like dirt, always knowing better and being the only person that makes decisions in the company, at the same time a technology genius who nevertheless is one of the most appreciated and looked up to leaders in the technology industry and not only. His main focus was on the product, aiming to have the highest quality product out there while the employees were just means to accomplish this goal. Even the customers were irrelevant, having to actually embrace the product rather than Jobs ever taking into consideration adapting the product to customer needs.

Richard Branson: a real ‘hippie’ of the business world, who became an entrepreneur at the age of 16, never went to business school, became a billionaire even if dyslexic and has an overall charismatic personality. His management style focuses on allowing people the freedom to think and create by themselves, Branson being the man who said that his best ideas never came up when he was in the office. He considers people the greatest assets of the company and his success is strictly related to the quality of their work and their motivation to accomplish the company’s vision.

Even though the feelings they stir into their employees are probably different, both leaders are just as respected and appreciated, being trusted to have a vision and lead their companies to success. One was hated, other is loved, but in the end they both get the job done and their companies are top of their industries.

This leads me to the question: what is it that makes a good manager? Should a good manager be loved or hated? Should a good manager bring the best in people through a totalitarian approach or through collaboration and coaching? Should a good manager care more about the product or about the people?

The answer to these questions might be very subjective and personal, some people might not be able to work in an environment such as Apple, some other might appreciate the fact that they are constantly pushed to give their best, but no matter the management style, there are a few characteristics that make one a great leader; those traits should not be confounded with the topic of employee motivation, as by definition being a great leader means being able to motivate and engage your employees to reach a common goal.

In the end, a great leader should:

Have a vision: no matter the personality of the manager, having a vision that he believes in empowers the employees and acquires their trust and support

Gain respect: respect is gained through excellence, bringing successful ideas into practice and accomplishing the planned results; the leaders need to position themselves as experts in their industries and gain the recognition of other experts and leaders of the industry

Be able to get the best out of people: how this is accomplished is irrelevant in the end (considering Jobs vs. Branson management styles for example), be it dictatorial or collaborative, if the employees deliver their best and are challenged to always overcome their limits, they will appreciate their manager and follow his vision

Recognize and encourage talent: a good leader sees talent and potential, encourages them and builds instruments to support and nurture that talent

Engage the employees: be it through challenges, be it through participation, a leader is able to make them feel part of the company and willingly get involved in the goals of the company

Embrace change: a leader should be able to adapt to the needs of the company, of the industry, of employees up to a point and always be flexible in order to incorporate and fulfill those needs as much as possible.